Cyber Essentials Certification
CloudTech24 partners with accredited Cyber Essentials assessors to help UK organisations achieve certification quickly and confidently. Our cybersecurity experts guide you through preparation, gap analysis, and self-assessment readiness.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed cybersecurity certification scheme designed to help organisations of all sizes protect themselves against the most common cyber threats. It is supported by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
To achieve certification, an organisation must demonstrate that it has implemented five key security controls:
- Firewalls – Protect networks from unauthorised access
- Secure Configuration – Ensure systems are configured securely and unnecessary services are disabled
- User Access Control – Restrict access to systems and data based on user roles
- Security Update Management – Keep software and devices patched against known vulnerabilities
- Malware Protection – Use anti-malware solutions to detect and prevent malicious software.
CloudTech24 partners with accredited Cyber Essentials assessors who can facilitate your certification by identifying gaps in your current setup, guiding self-assessment preparation and submission, and ensuring full NCSC compliance. This well-established and proven process is aligned with industry best practices and delivers quick, confident certification and a stronger security posture. If your organisation is missing key security controls, CloudTech24 can provide dedicated solutions to meet those needs.
How do I get certified?
To achieve Cyber Essentials certification a self-assessment questionnaire must be completed. The questionnaire is then independently validated by an accredited Cyber Essentials certification body (IASME). This evaluation process ensures your organisation meets the five key security controls (firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and security update management) and has the required security in place to protect against common cyber threats.
CloudTech24 ensure this is a seamless process. Our consultants review your self-assessment results, pinpoint any weaknesses, and implement targeted remediation measures. Whether you need firewall hardening or patch management automation, we bridge gaps efficiently, ensuring fast certification and NCSC compliance. CloudTech24 are ISO 27001 certified, CREST-Accredited for penetration testing and vulnerability assessments and Cyber Essentials Plus certified.
You can download a copy of the assessment criteria from the IASME website from the following link: IASME Cyber Essentials Questions
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials Plus provides the highest level of Cyber Essentials certification and includes an independent technical audit and vulnerability testing by a certified assessor. This provides a higher level of assurance as it tests your firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and security update management in real-world conditions, ensuring your business can validate its alignment to the criteria. Cyber Essentials Plus certification is mandatory for companies wishing to bid for high-security UK government contracts and MOD supply chains.
The Cyber Essentials Plus audit typically takes 2-3 weeks, depending on your network complexity. Your organisation must hold a verified Cyber Essentials certificate (issued within the last 3 months) before applying for the Cyber Essentials Plus certification, although most companies choose to achieve both certifications simultaneously. All Cyber Essentials certificates are valid for 12 months and require annual validation and renewal.
What’s the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials certification uses a self-assessment questionnaire verified by an independent body like IASME, confirming your organisation meets the five core controls. In contrast, Cyber Essentials Plus requires a hands-on technical audit which can be performed either on-site or remotely. During the audit, assessors actively validate your live systems for real-world compliance.
Cyber Essentials Plus standards are significantly stricter. Even a single control failure results in overall failure. At CloudTech24, we review your IT infrastructure and cybersecurity setup, identify gaps, and implement targeted remediation across all Cyber Essentials controls before your formal assessment. This ensures a quicker and more successful journey to certification and compliance.
Read more in our blog: Difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
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Cyber Essentials Certification - Frequently Asked Questions
We receive lots of questions about the Cyber Essentials assessment, supporting services and reducing cyber attacks. Take a look at some common Cyber Essentials FAQs.
Who needs Cyber Essentials certification?
Companies dealing with UK government departments – Cyber Essentials is often required for contracts involving the handling of personal data, financial information, or the provision of IT products and services.
Businesses that process personal, financial, or confidential information can use Cyber Essentials to demonstrate that fundamental security controls are in place.
Organisations in regulated sectors – Healthcare, finance, education, legal, and professional services firms may need certification to support compliance, supplier requirements, and to instil customer trust.
How much does Cyber Essentials certification cost?
The cost of Cyber Essentials depends on whether you want to achieve Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation. We will work with you to ensure you receive a straight-forward, rapid, and cost-effective route to certification.
How long does Cyber Essentials certification take?
CloudTech24 can expedite the process. We provide assistance with the self-assessment questionnaire and help you to identify any areas that require work to meet the required standards.
A certificate can be produced within days; however, it will take longer if your business does not have the necessary cybersecurity measures in place.
How long is the Cyber Essentials certificate valid for?
Cyber Essentials certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of initial certification. As well as helping you gain initial certification, CloudTech24 can assist with the annual reassessment required for both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
What is IASME Gold?
IASME Gold is often referred to as IASME Governance Audited. This certification involves an on-site assessment and governance audit that evaluates your processes and controls. It is considered an alternative to ISO 27001 as it is easier and more cost-effective for SMEs to implement, while still providing a robust framework for information security management.
Do I need Cyber Essentials to be a government supplier?
Since 1 October 2014, all suppliers bidding for government contracts involving the handling of personal or sensitive information must be Cyber Essentials certified to demonstrate they have cybersecurity basics in place to protect against common cyber attacks.
Can CloudTech24 manage our entire Cyber Essentials certification process?
Absolutely. CloudTech24 provides consultancy services to ensure your business can achieve or regain Cyber Essentials accreditation as quickly and painlessly as possible.
What is the Cyber Essentials Plus certification?
Is patch management needed for Cyber Essentials?
Yes. Cyber Essentials requires a patch management process to be actioned to ensure that all software and devices are updated where there are patches available. This addresses vulnerabilities and keeps software secure and up-to-date. CloudTech24 can provide patch management to meet the requirements of Cyber Essentials.
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CloudTech24 were more expensive than my previous provide but quickly identified security issues with our setup, since transitioning to them we are assured of the capabilities of the team and the protection they offer, to allow us to concentrate on running the business
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It’s a huge reassurance knowing that as a client we can rely on them not just to fix issues, but to proactively keep our systems running at their best. They’ve genuinely raised the bar for what IT support should look like and we’d highly recommend them to any business looking for a reliable, knowledgeable and supportive partner.
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Working with CloudTech24 has been a genuinely smooth and valuable experience from start to finish. The onboarding process was structured and efficient, with the team taking time to fully understand our setup, risks, and goals before implementing any solutions.
Day-to-day, their support has been consistently reliable. Issues are handled quickly, often before they become real problems, and there’s a clear proactive approach rather than just reactive fixes.
Their cybersecurity expertise has also added a strong layer of confidence, we know our systems, data, and users are properly protected.
What stands out most is the level of service. Communication is clear, response times are fast, and nothing feels like too much trouble. They operate more like an extension of our team than an external provider, which makes a big difference.
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CloudTech24 manage our ICT equipment end-to-end, from sourcing and configuring laptops and devices to installing software, security tools and updates before issuing equipment to staff. New starters receive devices ready to use from day one, making onboarding smooth and efficient.
Their remote support is excellent, allowing issues to be resolved quickly with minimal disruption. The CloudTech24 team are responsive, knowledgeable and communicate clearly when supporting staff.
They also provide valuable business continuity support through spare laptops and rapid replacement arrangements, helping minimise downtime when issues arise.
CloudTech24 has also been instrumental in strengthening our cyber security, particularly through our Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus journey. Their guidance, expertise and proactive approach have been invaluable.
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